Emotional Wellness in the Age of TikTok
How to separate out meaningful guidance from misinformation.
Posted May 22, 2026 | Reviewed by Davia Sills
Your inbox likely contains various emails this month on mental health awareness. How do you distinguish between useful and unhelpful information? Not everything labeled “helpful advice” truly offers value. To understand what it means to be emotionally well-balanced under pressure, we need a clear framework that goes beyond superficial tips.
Journalists interested in the use of TikTok to dispense mental health advice recently asked a panel of mental health experts about the advice that was provided on the platform. The experts concluded that over half of the information on TikTok about mental health was incorrect. If that were not concerning enough, research has demonstrated that anyone regularly using TikTok will be at an increased risk of experiencing depression and anxiety , especially those under the age of 24.
Society has made tremendous advances in technology, science, and health care over the past century. At the same time, very little progress has been made in the levels of emotional wellness that people experience. Considering the increased rates of suicide , depression, anxiety, and overdose over the past 100 years, people are experiencing far more emotional distress now than ever. More adults live alone now (15 percent) than in the 1960s (7 percent). Mental health problems are increasing even though there is more emphasis on personal happiness , self-esteem , and individual fulfillment than at any time in history.
We have been repeatedly told that mental health problems like anxiety and stress stand in the way of building a good life. What if the opposite is true? What if we struggle with our thoughts and emotions because we have not built a satisfying and meaningful life?
We dream of lives free from stress and anxiety. We search for what’s missing and end up drained, fighting our thoughts and feelings.
The way to build a good life and maintain emotional health is to recognize that our problems are not with our circumstances but with how we handle them. We can harness the power of our thinking, doing, and being to build a roadmap for change, one that points to a rich and meaningful life, even when life is difficult.
Rebuilding the Foundation
If we incorrectly explain why we are unhappy, we will use solutions that do not work. Transforming stress and anxiety into growth requires addressing the core problems that lead to the unhappiness and distress we experience. Our struggles point to what is missing in our lives and solutions that don’t work. We can only tame what we can name. To bring about lasting change, we need to work on seven key areas of emotional health to put ourselves back in the driver’s seat of our lives.
When you encounter quick-fix mental health tips on social media , remember that lasting emotional wellness requires more than surface solutions. Understand the many different needs you have as a psychological, biological, social, spiritual , and ethical individual. Take stock of your relationships, diet , exercise, sleep, substance use, thoughts, stress, past experiences, daily routines, and life direction. Ultimately, building a rich and meaningful life means intentionally working on what matters to you and relying on supportive connections—our real strength comes from those who surround us.
Share this post Facebook Bluesky Linkedin Email
There was a problem adding your email address. Please try again.
By submitting your information you agree to the Psychology Today Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
Evan Parks, Psy.D. , is a clinical psychologist at Kalkaska Memorial Health Center and an adjunct assistant professor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He is the host of the Pain Rehab podcast.
Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.
This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.